Complete

"Come on Ally." Dallas groaned as I pushed him away once again. I sighed.

"I'm sorry Dal. But I'm not ready." I told him. He grunted in frustration.

"This is stupid Ally! I was just trying to take your shirt off! It's been a year and I've never even seen you shirtless." He complained.

"I'm just not ready. You're the first guy I've ever done anything like this with, Dallas." I explained reasonably.

"Yeah, whatever. I bet if I was that Austin guy you like so much you'd have given it up a long time ago." He muttered. I froze, beyond angry. How dare he bring Austin into this? And what on Earth would give him that idea? Austin and I are best friends, that's all. Austin prefers the type of girl who puts out on the first date and doesn't expect him to call her. He would never think of me that way. And I wouldn't want him to.

"What the hell? Why would you say that?" I asked him, struggling to keep myself from shouting.

"All you two ever do is flirt. I know you say you're just mates, but seriously? The way you look at each other…it's like you're undressing each other with your eyes." He said. I scoffed.

"As if. Have you seen the girls Austin dates? Why would he ever look at me like that? And vice versa, since I have you! Dallas, I love you. I love Austin too, because he is my best friend. That's all." I explained calmly. I could see the pain in his eyes and I knew I was hurting him, and I couldn't stay mad at him knowing that I was hurting him.

"So this has nothing to do with Austin?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No, Dallas. Of course not. I'm just not ready." I said. He sighed and nodded, smiling sheepishly.

"Okay then. I guess I'm sorry." He said. I kissed him then, and then we put a movie and snuggled up on the couch. I fell asleep in his arms, the most comfortable place in the world for me.

…

"Ally, I've known you for years. I can tell when there's something wrong with you, so don't even try it. Tell me what's up." He said sternly. He had picked me up for our weekly trip to the movies, but had pulled over and was refusing to start the car again until I told him what was wrong. I sighed.

"It's nothing, Austin. I'll be okay." I told him. He shook his head.

"I know you'll be okay, but it's not nothing. You can trust me Ally." He said, looking at me earnestly. I sighed.

"I'm going to tell you this, since you're my best friend. But you can't say or do anything about it. To anyone. Understood?" I said. He chuckled.

"You know I can't make that promise. If someone has upset you, they're going to get it." He said, overprotective as usual. I rolled my eyes.

"If you're going to be like that, I'm not going to tell you." I said. He groaned.

"Ally! You can't be serious!"

"I'm deadly serious."

"Fine. I won't do anything." He huffed, falling back into his seat.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Me and Dallas had a bit of a fight." I said.

"Since when do you and Dallas fight?" He asked disbelievingly. I shrugged.

"We don't usually. It's just…he tried to take my top off, and I said no." I started. I saw him wince, and I knew I had just made things awkward. As best friends, we always told each other everything. But we still found it awkward when we talked about things like this.

"And?"

"Well, he got a little upset about it." I said, looking away. I heard him exhale loudly, and I knew he was trying not to look as mad as he was.

"Since when is Dallas that kind of guy?" he asked.

"He's not. He's just pissed off, I guess. He started saying stuff about, erm…never mind." I blushed, embarrassed.

"What did he say Ally?" Austin asked, voice low and angry.

"Nothing offensive. He was just…he was being stupid, saying that if he was you, I would have put out a long time ago, and how we're always flirting and 'undressing each other with our eyes' and stuff. I told you he was being stupid." I told him, blushing madly. I heard him chuckle, and looked up.

"Seriously? That's it?" he asked me. I huffed.

"Well, he is my boyfriend, Austin. And he was really pissed off. I think he thinks I like you." I said. Austin shrugged.

"And? You know you don't, I know you don't, and if he refuses to believe you then that's his problem." Austin shrugged. I gaped.

"How could you act like this isn't a big deal? Austin, what if he breaks up with me?"

"Think about it Ally. He only brought this up in the first place because you wouldn't have sex with him. So if he breaks up with you over this, he's really breaking up with you because you won't have sex with him. And if he does that, he's not worth it in the first place Als." He shrugged. I sighed, slumping in my seat.

"But he isn't that kind of guy. Its only recently that he's even tried anything. And it has been a year…maybe I'm being stupid. Maybe it has been long enough…" I sighed. He shot up, shaking his head.

"No, Ally, don't think like that. Sex is a big deal, and you are the only person who knows if you're ready or not. Some girls are ready when they're sixteen, some not until they're twenty. There's nothing wrong with that, and don't let any guy make you feel otherwise." He said earnestly.

"But what about all those girls you date? Obviously sex isn't a big deal to them." I said harshly. I didn't mean it the way it sounded, but obviously Austin thought I did.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked me lowly.

"I-I didn't mean it like that. I just meant, well, you have a new girl every day or so. It's like you just hook up with them and then leave them." I said quietly.

"Wow. So, what, you think I'm some kind of man-slut?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"No, more like a…erm…a player?" I said. His face was expressionless as he turned back to face the road and started the car.

"I'm not a player Ally. I would think that you of all people would give me the benefit of the doubt and not believe the rumours." He sighed.

"Okay. You're not a player. So who are all those girl I see you with then?"

"Well, first of all, it's not a new girl every day. Maybe a new girl every week or so. And it's not like I lead them on. It just a mutual thing; neither of us want a relationship. So we hook up a couple times. Then we move on. Simple. It doesn't mean anything to either of us." He explained. I didn't understand the difference, but

"Oh. Okay. How is it that we're best friends, yet I never knew this?" I asked him.

"I dunno. I guess I'm just ashamed. I don't want to be that guy, Ally. But I'm a guy; I have my needs. And I don't want a relationship. None of it means anything to me." He sighed, and for the first time I could see that he didn't like what he did.

"I'm sorry Austin." I said, and he grinned. That was all I could say, but thankfully it was all I needed to say.

"Don't be sorry. It's not like it's your fault. Besides, I could stop if I really wanted to. I'm being stupid." He shrugged.

…

Austin dropped me off at Dallas's place after the movie. Dallas grinned when he saw me, but looked angry when he saw Austin drive away.

"Did he have to drop you off?" he growled. I sighed.

"We just went to the movies." I shrugged. His eyes narrowed.

"You know, when a guy and a girl go to the movies it's usually on a date."

"Yeah, but we're just friends. And we go to the movies every Friday afternoon. You know that." I sighed, brushing past him. He grabbed my waist, apparently forgetting about Austin, and leant down to whisper in my ear.

"You're so sexy when you walk away from me." He whispered. I smiled, but it didn't make me shiver the way it used to when he whispered in my ear like that.

"Let me take my coat off, Dallas. Or things will really get too hot." I whispered back, not meaning a word of it. I knew he was trying to be seductive so I played along, since he was my boyfriend and I'm supposed to love it when he talks sexy.

He took my hand and led me upstairs. We always went to his bedroom, so this was nothing new. But it felt strange, almost rough. He pushed me down onto his bed and hovered over me. I went along with it, telling myself that it was okay as long as he didn't try to undress me.

After a minute or two I felt him tugging on my shirt and I sighed. Slapping his hand away I shoved him, expecting him to roll over and get off me. But instead, he tried again, managing to pull my shirt right up to show my bra. I gasped, trying my best to get away from him, but to no avail. I tried to pry his hands off me and felt my shirt rip, buttons flying everywhere.

"Stop, Dallas, please." I sobbed, tears streaming down my face.

"Shut up Ally. You're such a tease. You know you want me, why can't you just give it up already?" he groaned, and I winced. I wished he was drunk, because then I would have a good reason to forgive him. A month ago, I never would have been able to believe Dallas would do something like this. But honestly? Right now I couldn't bring myself to be that surprised. He had been really pushy lately. But just because I wasn't that surprised didn't mean I was just going to let him do this to me. I shoved him off me and managed to get into a sitting position.

"Stop it Dallas!" I shouted warningly. He rolled his eyes.

"Aw come on Ally!" he shouted.

"No! Just leave me alone!" I shouted, pulling my shirt down to cover as much as possible now that it was broken, and angrily wiping the tears from my face.

"Come on Ally, it's not that big a deal. Are you even a virgin?" he asked me, and I froze. I just sat there staring at him, until he looked away awkwardly.

"Did you really just ask me that?" I whispered hoarsely. He shrugged.

"Yeah. Sometimes, when we're talking, you just get this look, and then you always act so experienced when we're making out…it's hard to believe that you're a virgin sometimes." He shrugged.

"You know I am, Dallas."

"Well, you could be lying. I wouldn't be surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. I don't know. Look, maybe you should go. I think we should take a break for a little while." He said softly. I scowled.

"No. I think we should take a break for a long while. In fact, let's be adventurous and make it permanent, shall we?" I yelled, turning and stomping out of his room, down the stairs and outside. I got halfway down the street before I heard him call after me. I decided that if he chased me, came after me and apologised, I would consider trying to talk to him, to work things out. Maybe we could be friends, work it out.

But he just sighed and went back inside, slamming the door behind him. That was when I broke down. I collapsed onto the street, hugging my legs as I tried to stop the tears. He wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth the hurt.

Eventually I managed to pull myself together enough to get up and start walking. There was only one place I wanted to go; Austin's house. He didn't live far away, only a half hour walk, tops. It was dark enough that even if there were any other people on the street they wouldn't be able to tell that my shirt was ripped. Not that I cared. I walked with my shirt wide open, everything on show. I was past caring.

…

I was shaking as I knocked on Austin's door. I tried to hold back the tears as I waited for someone to answer. Eventually his mom opened the door, looking tired and angry. Her expression turned to shock, however, when she saw me.

"Ally?" she gasped.

"I-I'm sorry, Mrs Moon. I know i-its late, but something…something happened, and I r-really wanted to s-see Austin." I stammered, unable to keep the tears from falling when she ushered me inside and began rubbing my back comfortingly.

"Okay. I think he's asleep, but he won't mind if you wake him up." She said softly, and I grinned.

"Thanks Mrs Moon. I'm sorry I woke you up." I apologised. She hugged me, and I was too shocked to respond for a second. Then I hugged her back.

"Don't be sorry, Ally. I am so glad you came here. I know you and I aren't as close as we could be, considering how close you are to Austin. I've always wanted to be a mother figure for you, Ally. Always. But I didn't want you to feel like I was trying to replace your mother. But I want you to know that if something happens, you're always welcome here. No matter what time it is." She said comfortingly. I smiled.

"Thanks Mrs Moon. I-I'd love for you to be a mother figure for me. I know you wouldn't want to replace my mom." I sighed, smiling at her.

"That's great, Ally. Okay then, come on, you look shattered. Go wake Austin up. He might be a little grouchy at first, but he'll take one look at you and he'll wake up." She said. I smiled.

"Thank you." I said, hugging her lightly again.

"It's no problem, really." She smiled. I followed her up the stairs and watched as she went back into her bedroom, turning to glance at me before she closed the door. I shivered, pulling my shredded shirt tighter around my body.

Austin's bedroom door creaked slightly as I opened it, but Austin didn't even stir. He was sprawled across the bed, wearing only boxers, his covers on the floor. He looked so peaceful, I just couldn't bring myself to wake him up. So I climbed onto the bed next to him, instantly warmer. He instinctively turned and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. I froze for a second at the skin on skin contact, before relaxing. This was Austin, my best friend. It shouldn't be awkward. And since Dallas and I were over, I was way past caring.

I curled up into a ball, warm enough without the covers, and closed my eyes.

…

I must have fallen asleep straight away, since the next thing I knew there was sunlight streaming in through the small window and I was lying with my head on someone's chest. Someone's naked chest. For a moment I forgot what had happened, and I was worried that I had given into Dallas.

I sat up, even more confused when I saw Austin's eyes flutter open. Then it all came rushing back, and I sighed in relief.

"Ally?" he groaned, rubbing his eyes sleepily. I smiled sheepishly.

"Your mom told me to wake you up, but you looked too peaceful. I couldn't do it." I explained. He chuckled.

"So you climbed into bed with me? Then again, I should have known that you wouldn't be able to resist me for much longer." He joked. I laughed, slapping his arm as he sat up.

"Sure, you just keep telling yourself that." I laughed. He laughed too, then froze, staring at me. I looked down, wondering if I had something on my shirt. I had forgotten that Dallas had broken my shirt. It was hanging open, showing my bra and bare stomach. But that wasn't what he was looking at. I hadn't even noticed, but at some point Dallas had scratched my stomach. There were two parallel fingernail marks down my stomach, not bleeding but they looked pretty red and painful. And now that I had seen them, I realised that I could feel them too.

"Ouch." I said, running my fingers over the marks to make sure they were real. Austin looked furious. Beyond furious. I was actually afraid of him.

"Tell me you were attacked by a dog, or got run over by a lawn mower, anything." He whispered, voice strained.

"Why?" I asked him, confused.

"Because if you tell me it was Dallas, I might have to kill him. And I really don't want to go to prison." He muttered. I sighed.

"Austin, please. Don't do anything stupid. Dallas and I are over. Yes, this was him. He got carried away, I guess." I shrugged.

"No, Ally. Carried away would mean he tried to take your shirt off and you say no. And then he would apologise, and tell you he loves you. This isn't just 'getting carried away'." He said, leaning forward to touch the marks on my stomach. They were just below the bottom of my bra, and I shivered involuntarily as his fingers brushed my the thin fabric covering my breast. He froze for a second, then moved his hand away, pretending like it hadn't happened.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"It's fine." I said truthfully. I didn't mind at all; he didn't do it on purpose.

"I can't believe this. He always seemed like an okay guy. I can't believe he did this. Was he drunk?" he asked. I was crying again, and he looked apologetic as he moved closer to me and pulled me into his arms.

"N-no. He wasn't d-drunk. I wish he w-was." I stuttered. He rubbed my back comfortingly.

"I'm going to kill him, Ally." He muttered. I pulled away, wiping my eyes and shaking my head.

"No, no, you cant. I can't lose you, Austin. Promise me you won't do anything. Please?" I begged him. His expression softened and he hugged me again.

"Okay. I promise." He sighed, and I knew how hard it was for him to say it, but I also knew that he wouldn't break his promise. He never did.

"You probably think I'm such an idiot. All the signs were there, but I trusted him anyway." I sighed.

"Yeah, but he's never been like this before. You had no reason to suspect he was going to go like that. You told me everything, and even I didn't think he would end up like that." He said comfortingly.

"He's never done anything like this before because every other girlfriend he's had probably put out much earlier." I muttered sourly. Austin laughed.

"Don't be like that, Als. No guy has the right to push you like that. You're worth the wait, Ally." He said honestly. I grinned.

"Aw, thanks Austin. You always know how to make me feel better." I sighed, getting up off the bed.

"Ally, I didn't just say that to make you feel better." He said quietly, not looking at me. I was confused.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked him.

"I've been waiting for you for ten years, Ally. Ever since we first met, when we were eight. I've been waiting for you to realise that you don't need to search for a guy who loves you. Because there's been one, right here, for the last ten years. And trust me, Ally, I'd be willing to wait a hundred more. Because you're worth the wait." He told me. When he finished speaking, the room was silent. I was frozen in place, unable to comprehend what he had just told me.

"Are you being serious?" I asked him, my voice hoarse. He looked up, looking me in the eye, and nodded. I could see the honesty in his eyes and I knew he was telling me the truth. I slowly sat back down on the bed.

"I thought you didn't want a relationship? I thought you only wanted girls for sex?" I asked him. He smiled sadly.

"I don't want a relationship. With anyone other than you. And you were with Dallas." He sighed.

"But I've only been with Dallas for a year. What about the nine years before that?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"I guess I never had the guts to tell you." He admitted.

"I'm glad you have told me, Austin." I said.

"Why?"

"Because I think I might love you too…" I said, and I was serious. I mean, I knew I loved him, but had always assumed it was just a best friend, type of love, more brotherly than romantic. But now that I think about it, I could never imagine Austin being my brother.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. But I don't know…I never loved Dallas. I really liked him, but I was never in love with him. So I don't know how it feels." I explained. His face fell.

"If you loved me, you'd know it Ally." He sighed. I grabbed his hand and felt the all-too-familiar tingles that I always felt when I touched him.

"But if I've been pushing it down all this time...maybe I've actually convinced myself that I don't." I said. He looked a little hopeful, but shook his head anyway.

"I don't think so Ally. I mean, why would you be in love with me? I'm not exactly your type." He laughed coldly.

"Austin, I don't have a type. Dallas is the only boyfriend I've ever had." I chuckled.

"But I…I don't know how to do relationships, Ally. And I can't…I can't be in a relationship with you, only to have it ruined when you realise that you don't love me back." He sighed, and I could see he was on the verge of tears.

"So you'd rather live your life, never knowing the truth?" I asked him, hurt. He shrugged.

"You're my best friend, Ally. Besides, whatever you feel now will be messed up because of Dallas. I don't want to be your rebound, Ally. I want to be your everything. And if I can't be that…I don't want to be anything to you." he sighed. I felt the tears spring up again, and this time didn't fight them. Because Austin, my best friend of ten years, was worth the tears.

"Not even my friend?" I asked him, through the tears. His eyes widened and he shook his head.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. Of course I want to be your friends." He said.

"Whatever. But you weren't going to be my rebound, Austin. You would never be my rebound."

…

A week later, I was with Trish. I was telling her about everything that had gone down.

"Of course he wouldn't be your rebound. How stupid is he? It's so obvious that you're in love with him. Even Dallas could see it." She said. I stared at her, shocked. She fidgeted.

"What?" she asked, wiping her face self-consciously.

"I-I'm not in love with him. At least, I don't think I am. What makes you so sure?" I asked her. She rolled her eyes.

"Ally, come on. Ever since you guys were old enough to date, we've been waiting for you to realise that you were meant for each other. You might not realise it, but you are so in love with him."

"But I've always loved him as a brother." I told her. She scoffed.

"Ally, just for a second, imagine Austin is your brother." She said. I tried, but I couldn't.

"I-I guess I can't." I admitted. She smiled smugly.

"Now imagine having sex with him." She said. I blushed, slapping her arm.

"Trish!" I squealed. She grinned.

"It's obvious, Ally. I can tell from your reaction that you definitely can imagine that. And if you can, you obviously don't love him like a brother."

I have to admit, she was right. I definitely could imagine that. And I can't deny that the mental pictures made me shiver. In a good way. A very, very good way. I finally realised Dallas was right. I wouldn't sleep with him because I love Austin. I can't believe Dallas figured it out before me. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that I loved Austin. And I honestly had no idea why I hadn't realised it before. The tingly feeling I got every time we touched. The way I couldn't look away when he smiled at me.

"I have to go, Trish." I said, hugging her quickly. She laughed.

"Hmm, I wonder where Ally could be going…" she said sarcastically. I blushed, but grabbed my bag and practically ran out of her house anyway.

…

When I got to Austin's house I knocked on the door, but no-one answered. I tried the handle and it wasn't locked. I assumed they just hadn't heard me, but when I went in there was no-one about. In fact, the house was silent. I decided to check upstairs, in case someone was in the shower.

When I got upstairs I heard a thump and a curse from Austin's room. I thought for a second and realised that it was Saturday. His dad would be working until late, and his mom always took his sister to her friend's house and went dancing, then for a meal with her friends. I often used to spend the whole day here on Saturday because everyone was out. But not since I started dating Dallas.

I was about to open Austin's door when I remembered that I hadn't spoken to him since we had our argument. Was he still mad at me? Would he even want to listen to what I had to say?

Deciding it was worth it, that I had to tell him, I took a deep breath and opened the door. He was sat in his desk chair, his back to me, throwing a bouncy ball up and catching it. He had headphones in, which was probably why he didn't hear me knock, but he must have felt a draught 'cause he turned to face me.

He looked surprised at first, then smiled softly. I grinned, releasing a breath I hadn't realised I was holding.

"Hey Ally. Are you okay?" he asked, pulling his headphones out and throwing the ball onto the floor.

"I'm great. I was with Trish, and we were talking, and she made me realise something." I started.

"What?"

"I don't think of you as my brother. She told me to imagine that you were my brother, and I couldn't do it. Then she told me to imagine…never mind. The point is, I realised that I do love you. And Dallas was right. You were the reason I wouldn't have sex with him. I don't know why I didn't realise it sooner, but what's important is that I realise it now." I explained in a rush. His expression was unreadable, and for a few seconds we both stood there, staring at each other, in silence. Then he grinned, and I ran to him, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him.

It was nothing like kissing Dallas. With Dallas, I never actually felt anything when I kissed him. With Austin, I felt this warm sensation spread through me, starting at my lips and filling my entire body. And when he slid his arms around my waist and to the small of my back, I felt like I was on fire. His hands were against my bare skin where my shirt had ridden up, and I felt like he was burning me. But it wasn't painful.

We pulled apart when we couldn't go any longer without air and smiled at each other. He rested his forehead against mine, panting heavily.

"Is this real? Am I dreaming?" he asked me, voice low and tingly. I shivered at the sound.

"It feels like a dream, but God I hope it's not." I replied, and then I decided I'd had enough air and I kissed him again. He gripped my waist tighter and I groaned as he bit my lip. He took that opportunity to slide his tongue into my mouth. I gasped, surprised by how good it felt. It had always felt icky with Dallas, like I was being invaded. But this didn't. This just felt good. All of this felt good.

He moved his hands to my back and slid them lower. Had he been Dallas I would have pushed him away at this point, but this was Austin. I didn't ever want to push Austin away.

He stopped just before he reached my ass and I smiled. He didn't want to push me. How sweet. I slid my fingers through his hair and tugged a little, and he growled. Literally growled. I pulled away and laughed.

"Ally. Don't do that." He whined, face red. I kissed him quickly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." I said. He laughed.

"It didn't hurt Ally." He said. I frowned.

"Then why did you growl?" I asked. He laughed even harder.

"Because it turned me on, Ally. You turn me on. Everything you do. But I don't want to…I don't want to be like Dallas." He sighed, looking away from me. I put my hand on his chin and turned his head to look him in the eyes.

"Austin, you're nothing like Dallas. I wouldn't even kiss Dallas until we had been dating for two months. And we never got as far as you and I just did. I never wanted to. But with you…I want everything. I want you so much, Austin. I'm scared by how much I want you. I feel like every second we spend talking is a second wasted." I whispered that last part, embarrassed. Austin just nodded.

"I feel exactly the same way. But I know how big a deal this is to you. And I'm not exactly a virgin…I didn't want you to think I was treating you like those other girls." He said. I smiled.

"I promise to stop you if you go too far, okay?" I told him. He thought for a second, then nodded. So I kissed him again. Almost instantly, he responded, pulling me as close to him as possible. I felt his hands slide a little lower, almost as if he was asking if it was okay, so in answer I jumped up, wrapping my legs around his waist so that he was forced to hold my ass to stop me from falling. He obviously wasn't expecting it, because he stumbled and had to lean against the wall to keep from falling over.

"Ally." He gasped. I smiled.

"Sorry." I said unapologetically, then leant down to kiss his cheek. He grinned, then kissed me properly. When we needed to breathe again he started kissing along my jaw, and down to my neck. I moaned, and his grip tightened, making me gasp. He flipped us around so my back was against the wall and continued to kiss my neck. I closed my eyes and leant my head against the wall, exposing as much of the skin of my neck as I could.

When his mouth began travelling lower, my eyes snapped open.

"Austin." I groaned. He stopped and looked up, smiling at me.

"Yeah?" he replied innocently. I unwrapped my legs from around his waist and stood shakily.

"I want-"

"I'm sorry, Ally, I went too far didn't I?" he asked, and I could see anger in his eyes. Anger at himself. I shook my head.

"No. Not at all. I just…I wasn't very comfortable." I explained. He smiled.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. I just thought maybe…we could find somewhere a little more comfortable." I said quietly, glancing towards his bed. He followed my gaze, and when our eyes met again the look in his made me feel weak.

"Are you sure?" he asked me quietly. I rolled my eyes and slipped past him, pulling him with me. I pushed him down to sit on the bed and kissed him, pushing him backwards so he was lying down with me on top of him. He groaned and bit my lip again, then rolled us over so he was on top. He pushed himself up to hover over me, obviously worried about hurting me, but I missed the feel of his body on mine, so I moved my hands to his waist and pulled him down. He gasped in shock and I laughed into the kiss.

I slid my hands under the back of his shirt and smiled when he shivered. I couldn't take it anymore; I had to get that shirt off. It was a nice shirt, but right then I hated it for getting between us. Totally unreasonable, I know, but I wasn't exactly in a reasonable state of mind.

He sat up so he was straddling me and pulled it the rest of the way, throwing it onto the floor. I ran my hands over his toned stomach, then pulled myself up to kiss his stomach, working my way up until I reached his mouth again. I felt him fumbling with the buttons of my shirt and reached down to help him. That was when he froze.

"Ally, are you-"

"If you ask me if I'm sure again I'm going to slap you." I threatened him. He grinned, but I could still see doubt in his eyes.

"I just don't want you to do anything you'll regret."

"I know, and I appreciate it, but you don't have to worry. Besides, it's only fair. You took your shirt up. I'm only trying to keep things even." I said playfully, running my fingers down his stomach lightly. He groaned again and kissed me. Suddenly, my shirt couldn't come off fast enough. We worked together to undo the buttons and then rolled over so I could sit up and pull it off. He was staring at me, and the heat of his gaze made me shiver. He reached up and traced the scratch marks Dallas had left, kissed one, then the other.

"I hate that he marked you. It's like he tried to claim you as his." He whispered, sounding pained. I laughed.

"This isn't medieval times, or whatever. You don't have to worry about Dallas trying to 'claim' me. As cheesy as it sounds, I'm yours. Mind, body and soul." I told him. He smiled and moved his hands to my shoulders to pull me down for another kiss. I felt my breasts press against his chest and for the first time felt self-conscious. I'd never been big in the chest area, unlike a lot of the girls I had seen him with. He must have noticed my hesitation and figured out what was wrong, because the next thing I knew he was whispering;

"You're so beautiful." In my ear. I grinned.

"I love you, Austin." I whispered.

"I love you too." He replied, and finally, I felt complete.